Integrated marketing promotion system and method

• US 20030177066A1
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Original Assignee: Computer Sciences Corporation (DXC Technology Company)
• Inventors: McCarroll, Michael P., Zhang, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US10/356,396
• Publication Number:
  US 20030177066A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

A method for an integrated promotion system includes receiving a specification of a promotion, determining a point of sale server destined for the promotion, in response to the promotion, converting the specification of the promotion into a point of sale data packet, providing the point of sale data packet to the point of sale server, providing notice of a promotion to a first targeted customer in response to the point of sale data packet, providing a promotion benefit to the first targeted customer when the preconditions of the promotion are met, storing transaction data of the first targeted customer, when the first targeted customer meets the preconditions of the promotion, uploading the transaction data of the first targeted customer, generating a promotion report, in response to the transaction data of the first targeted customer, and providing the promotion report to the promoter system.

Claims

1. A method for an integrated promotion system comprises:

receiving a specification of a promotion in a central server from a promoter system coupled via a computer network, the specification of the promotion including a promotion identifier, and a customer targeting criteria;

determining in the central server, a point of sale server destined for the promotion, in response to the customer targeting criteria;

converting the specification of the promotion in the central server into a point of sale data packet appropriate for the point of sale server;

providing the point of sale data packet to the point of sale server via a computer network;

providing notice of a promotion to a first targeted customer in the point of sale server in response to the point of sale data packet;

providing a promotion benefit to the first targeted customer when the first targeted customer meets preconditions of the promotion;

storing in the point of sale server, transaction data of the first targeted customer, when the first targeted customer meets the preconditions of the promotion;

uploading the transaction data of the first targeted customer to the central server via a computer network;

generating a promotion report in the central server, in response to the transaction data of the first targeted customer; and

providing the promotion report to the promoter system via a computer network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a revised specification of the promotion in the central server from the promoter system via a computer network, wherein the revised specification is generated in response to the promotion report.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the promotion report to the promoter system comprises an action selected from the group:

populating a data mart, issuing an alert, fulfilling a report subscription request, providing a web portal.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the specification of the promotion comprises:

providing a plurality of web pages to the promoter system, the plurality of web page comprising at least one web form; and

receiving a web form submission in the central server in response to the web form.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing notice of the promotion to the first targeted customer in the point of sale server comprises an action selected from the group:

emailing the first targeted customer, direct-mailing the first targeted customer, displaying promotions to the first targeted customer, electronically communicating with the first targeted customer via wireless device, playing a recorded message to the first targeted customer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving approval of the promotion prior to providing the point of sale data packet to the point of sale server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

converting the specification of the promotion into another point of sale data packet, wherein the other point of sale data packet is appropriate for another point of sale server; and

providing the other point of sale data packet to the other point of sale server;

wherein a format for the point of sale data packet and a format of the other point of sale data packet are different.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

providing notice of the promotion to a second targeted customer in the other point of sale server in response to the other point of sale data packet;

providing the promotion benefit to the second targeted customer when the second targeted customer meets the preconditions of the promotion; and

storing in the other point of sale server, transaction data of the second targeted customer, when the second targeted customer meets the preconditions of the promotion.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

uploading the transaction data of the second targeted customer to the central server via a computer network; and

wherein generating the promotion report in the central server comprises generating the promotion report in the central server, in response to the transaction data from the first targeted customer and the second targeted customer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the promotion benefit is selected from the group comprising:

specifying promotion objects in response to the specification of the promotion;

providing the promotion objects in an application server coupled to a merchant server; and

instantiating promotion objects in response to the promotion objects when a customer coupled to a merchant server selects the promotion.

11. An integrated promotion system comprises:

a data server configured to receive a specification of a promotion from a promoter system via a computer network, wherein the specification of the promotion including promotion targeting criteria, wherein the data server is configured to determine a point of sale system where the promotion is to be sent in response to the specification of the promotion, and wherein the data server is configured to form a promotion data packet compatible with the point of sale system; and

a point of sale server coupled to the data server configured to receive the promotion data packet from the data server via a computer network, wherein the point of sale server is configured to implement the promotion in response to the promotion data packet, configured to direct notification of the promotion to a first targeted customer, configured to provide a promotion benefit to the first targeted customer when the first targeted customer fulfills preconditions of the promotion; and

configured to store promotion fulfillment data;

wherein the data server is also configured to receive the promotion fulfillment data from the point of sale server, configured to process the promotion fulfillment data; and

configured to allow the promoter system to view the promotion fulfillment data via a computer network.

14. The integrated promotion system of claim 11 wherein notification of the promotion to the first targeted customer is selected from the group:

sending an e-mail message to the first targeted customer, sending a postal mail message to the first targeted customer, sending a wireless message to the first targeted customer, playing a recorded audio message to the first targeted customer, displaying a message to the first targeted customer.

15. The integrated promotion system of claim 11

wherein the data server is also configured to determine another point of sale system where the promotion is to be sent in response to the specification of the promotion, and wherein the data server is configured to form another promotion data packet compatible with the other point of sale system;

and

wherein the system further comprises the other point of sale server coupled to the data server configured to receive the other promotion data packet from the data server via a computer network, wherein the other point of sale server is configured to implement the promotion in response to the other promotion data packet, wherein the other point of sale server is configured to direct notification of the promotion to a second targeted customer, wherein the other point of sale server is configured to provide the promotion benefit to the second targeted customer when the second targeted customer fulfills preconditions of the promotion; and

wherein the other point of sale server is configured to store other promotion fulfillment data.

16. The integrated promotion system of claim 15 wherein the data server is also configured to receive the other promotion fulfillment data from the other point of sale server;

and configured to process the promotion fulfillment data and the other promotion fulfillment data.

17. The integrated promotion system of claim 11 wherein the promotion targeting criteria is selected from the group comprising:

customer loyalty to specific product, customer loyalty to product category, customer shopping frequency, customer shopping cart size, customer usage of products in product categories, customer usage of specific products.

18. The integrated promotion system of claim 17

wherein the data server is configured to provide a web form to the promoter system via a computer network, and

wherein a promoter uses the web form to provide the specification of the promotion.

19. The integrated promotion system of claim 11

wherein the data server is also configured to determine an application server where the promotion is to be sent in response to the specification of the promotion;

and

wherein the integrated promotion system further comprises the application server, the application server configured to receive the promotion from the data server via a computer network;

the application server is configured to implement the promotion, the application server is configured to direct notification of the promotion to a second targeted customer, configured to provide a promotion benefit to the second targeted customer when the second targeted customer fulfills preconditions of the promotion; and

configured to store additional promotion fulfillment data; and

wherein the data server is configured to receive the additional promotion fulfillment data from the application server.

20. The integrated promotion system of claim 19

wherein the data server is also configured to receive the additional promotion fulfillment data;

and configured to process the promotion fulfillment data and the additional promotion fulfillment data.

12. The integrated promotion system of claim II wherein the data server is also configured to receive a revised specification for the promotion from the promoter system, wherein the revised specification is generated in response to the promotion fulfillment data.

13. The integrated promotion system of claim 12 wherein the data server is configured to process the promotion fulfillment data in a configuration selected from the group:

configured to populate a data mart in response to the promotion fulfillment data;

configured to detect an alert condition and is configured to generate an alert when the alert condition is detected;

configured to generate a report in response to the promotion fulfillment data and is configured to send the report to one or more subscribers; and

configured to populate a web portal in response to the promotion fulfillment data.

21. A method for a promotion system comprises:

receiving a specification of a promotion in a central server from a promoter system coupled via a computer network the specification of the promotion including targeting criteria;

determining in the central server servers where the promotion will be distributed to in response to the targeting criteria, the servers including a loyalty card server and an application server;

formatting the promotion into a first data packet appropriate for the loyalty card server;

formatting the promotion into a second data packet appropriate for the application server;

providing the first data packet to the point of sale server via a computer network;

providing the second data packet to the application server via a computer network;

providing notice of the promotion to a first targeted customer in the loyalty card server in response to the first data packet;

providing a promotion benefit to the first targeted customer when the first targeted customer meets preconditions of the promotion;

storing in the loyalty card server, transaction data associated with the first targeted customer, when the first targeted customer meets the preconditions of the promotion;

providing notice of the promotion to a second targeted customer in a merchant server coupled to the application server in response to the second data packet;

storing in the application server, promotion impression data associated with the second targeted customer, when the second targeted customer is presented with a description of the promotion;

uploading the transaction data associated with the first targeted customer to the central server via a computer network;

uploading the promotion impression data associated with the second targeted customer to the central server via a computer network;

generating a promotion report in the central server, in response to the transaction data of the first targeted customer and in response to the promotion impression data associated with the second targeted customer; and

providing the promotion report to the promoter system via a computer network.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising storing in the loyalty card server, promotion impression data associated with the first targeted customer, when the first targeted customer is presented with the description of the promotion.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the transaction data associated with the first targeted customer comprises data selected from the group:

contents of a shopping cart associated with the first targeted customer, a currency value representing a value of goods in the shopping cart, demographic data of the first targeted customer.

24. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving in the loyalty card server a customer identifier for the first targeted customer;

retrieving customer data associated with the first targeted customer, in response to the customer identifier; and

determining whether the customer data meets conditions of promotion;

wherein providing notice of the promotion to a first targeted customer comprises providing notice of the promotion to the first targeted customer in the loyalty card server when the customer data meets conditions of the promotion.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the conditions of the promotion comprise conditions selected from the group:

customer shopping cart value, customer shopping profile, customer product loyalty, customer product class frequency.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein generating a promotion report in the central server comprises an action selected from the group:

populating a data mart in response to the promotion report;

determining an alert condition and generating an alert when the alert condition is detected;

generating a report in response to the promotion report and sending the report to one or more subscribers; and

populating a web portal in response to the promotion report.

27. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving a specification of another promotion in the central server from another promoter system coupled via a computer network, the specification of the other promotion including additional targeting criteria;

wherein determining in the central server servers where the promotion will be distributed to comprises determining in the central server servers where the promotion will be distributed to in response to the targeting criteria and to the additional targeting criteria.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein either the promotion or the other promotion are formatted and provided to the point of sale server via a computer network.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein either the promotion or the other promotion are formatted and provided to the application server via a computer network.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

providing notice of the promotion to a third targeted customer in the loyalty card server in response to the first data packet;

storing in the loyalty card server, promotion impression data associated with the third targeted customer, when the third targeted customer is presented with the description of the promotion; and

uploading the promotion impression data associated with the third targeted customer to the central server via a computer network.